…Call for accessible public buildings, greater political participation
The Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has called for practical measures to remove barriers to women’s inclusion, insisting that commitments to gender equality must translate into measurable improvements in the lives of women and girls.
She said women’s development required sustained action, stronger institutional collaboration and accountability, rather than policy statements and occasional advocacy campaigns.
Benjamins-Laniyi spoke in Abuja on Friday when the Chairperson of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Comrade Grace Ike, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Centre.
The Director-General invited the council to establish a structured media partnership with the Centre to promote women’s empowerment, strengthen public awareness and ensure sustained reporting on issues affecting women.
She proposed a formal framework with clearly defined responsibilities, designated focal persons and measurable outcomes, including programmes implemented, women reached, stories published, public awareness raised and opportunities created.
“Let us build a relationship in which the media is not merely invited to cover our activities but is actively engaged in shaping the conversations, strengthening public understanding and promoting accountability for women’s development,” she said.
Benjamins-Laniyi urged journalists to make women’s development a consistent national conversation, rather than limiting coverage to International Women’s Day and other commemorative events.
She also called for periodic training, media roundtables and knowledge-sharing engagements to strengthen reporting on women’s economic empowerment, leadership, gender-based violence, education and social inclusion.
The Director-General said the partnership should create platforms for rural women, women entrepreneurs, young innovators, women with disabilities and community leaders whose contributions often receive limited public attention.
She challenged both institutions to develop an actionable roadmap and ensure that future engagements produced evidence of progress.
Earlier, the NUJ FCT Council Chairperson Grace Ike, said Nigerian women had contributed significantly to the country’s economy, culture, families and democracy, but many of their achievements remained undocumented or absent from the national narrative.
She called for more consistent media coverage of women’s contributions and greater attention to barriers limiting their access to opportunities, leadership positions and professional advancement.
“We must pay particular attention to grassroots women, rural women, women in informal work, women with disabilities, young women and women whose contributions rarely attract public attention. Inclusion must be intentional, not symbolic,” she said.
Ike also identified the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame, located within the Centre, as an important platform for documenting women’s achievements and preserving their place in the country’s history.
She said the media should help ensure that girls and young women see themselves represented in Nigeria’s national story.
The NUJ FCT chairperson proposed joint public awareness campaigns, regular features and interviews, intergenerational dialogues and capacity-building programmes for women journalists to promote ethical, gender-sensitive and development-focused reporting.
She further called for greater female representation in leadership positions within the media industry and other sectors.
Ike said the council would designate a liaison to coordinate engagement with the Centre and support regular reporting on women’s development priorities and the implementation of relevant policies.
Both institutions expressed readiness to work towards a sustained partnership aimed at amplifying women’s voices and strengthening public accountability for commitments to women’s development.
